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Introduction Text I'm a wife, mother, teacher, student and friend. I want to be a healthier person with more energy because I owe it to my family to be the best wife and mother I can be! My semi-famous motto is...Exercising is like sex...you don't think you have the energy for it, but once you do it...you feel great & you're glad you did it!! I eat healthy most of the day...but at night I don't eat as healthy. I tend to eat late at night. I also like my happy hour which involves beer & a not-so-healthy appetizer. I am willing to put in a lot of work, eat a healthier dinner and not eat late at night...but I don't want to give up my happy hour! My official restart take was March 5, 2009! Update...4/2/2009...I was gone for awhile (October-March) but now I'm back...and doing great!! I am eating healthy the larger majority of the time...and I'm not having troubles eating healthy in the evenings!! I have lost 10 pounds and I have been working out 4-5 days per week! I feel really good right now and I want to keep it up!! I love Spark People!! Update #2...5/2/2009...Still going strong...in fact...stronger than ever! Most days I am within my calorie range...sometimes a little below...and when I go above...it's way above...and I only do that once a week or so!! I've been working out at least 5 days a week...which is giving me so much energy...I just love it!! I have lost 22 pounds...and my Size 18s are getting pretty baggy...which makes me absolutely thrilled! I am getting ready to start the Sweatsuit to Swimsuit challenge tomorrow until the end of May...I'm stoked about that for sure...can't wait to see the results! We started a May Motivator for our Get Your Basc In Shape team...and it is really fun and actually quite motivating! My support system is growing by the day...which is amazing! I just absolutely Love, Love, Love Spark People!!! I need to start keeping a visual reminder of my progress...so here it is...starting May 2, 2009...keep in mind...I have already lost 22 pounds (wow!)! Weigh in 5/2/2009: 213 (-0) 22 pounds down from 235 @ start in March Measurements on 5/3/2009 Waist-38.5 Hips-46.5 Thighs-43.5 Neck-13.75 Chest-41.5 Update #3: 5/17/09 Weight-216 Waist-37.5 (-1") Hips-45 (-1.5") Neck-14 (+.5") Thighs-44.5 (+1") Chest-42 (+.5") So there it is...down a couple...up a couple...but what truly matters in my mind is that I am still sticking with this!! It has been about 2.5 months going strong...which is an accomplishment for me!! I'm going to keep on keeping on!! Update #4: 5/31/09-End of Sweatsuit to Swimsuit Bootcamp Weight-211 (-24 Total from March 09) Waist-37.5 (-1" Total from May 03/09) Hips-44 (-2.5" Total from May 03/09) Neck-13 (-.75" Total from May 03/09) Thighs-43 (-.5" Total from May 03/09) Chest-39.5 (-2" Total from May 03/09) Total Pounds Lost During Sweatsuit to Swimsuit Bootcamp: 2 Total Inches Lost During Sweatsuit to Swimsuit Bootcamp: 4.75 Total Motivation Gained During Sweatsuit to Swimsuit Bootcamp: Cannot be put into words!! Summer...here I come!! This may be the end of the Spark People Sweatsuit to Swimsuit Bootcamp, but it is only the beginning of my journey to becoming a more physically fit, healthy person who can feel good in my own skin!! I LOVE SPARK PEOPLE!! Update #5: 6/12/2009-207.5 (Total loss of 27.5 pounds since March 09) I need to do some measurements soon!! I'm still making progress and don't see any need to slow down...speed up perhaps!! I actually bought a new swimsuit that doesn't cover my whole belly...so I am super motivated to tone up my jelly belly so that it isn't so jelly-licious!! My greatest weakness is food...I track my food and go over my calories a couple days a week! Update #6: 6/29/2009-203 (Total loss of 32 pounds since March 09)!!!! 7/10/2009: Still no measurements....must do by the end of the weekend!! I am feeling better and stronger each and every day!! I have been working out for almost an hour (sometimes even more) at least 5-6 days per week!! I have added distance and more jogging onto my walk/jogs! My legs can take it!! Also...have done "The Firm" three times this summer!! It is sooooo intense, but it gets a little more do-able for me every time I do it!! I may even do it twice this week (Sunday perhaps....just did it today). My gals and I are doing a "Just Do It" July focusing on working out as much as we can and eating as best we can...going well...going well!! All is just great here and I am so happy to be making so much progress!! It would be so great to be under 200 by the time school starts! I am hoping to have to buy a new wardrobe sooner than later! Have I mentioned.....I LOVE SPARK PEOPLE!!!! Update #7: First of all...I would just like to say how proud I am of myself for sticking with this through 7 updates!! That in and of itself is a major accomplishment for me!! Anyways...the weight hasn't changed since the last weigh in, but I finally had my hubby do some measurements and they are showing progress! Waist-36" Hips-43" Neck-13" So I have lost 2.5" of my waist, 3.5" of my hips, and .75" of my neck...that's progress! I have this dress that I bought when I was 19 (8years ago). Maybe I wore the dress once...maybe...I always thought it didn't look nice on me, but I love the dress! So...I tried it on the other day thinking that it was going to look pretty bad still, but it doesn't look too bad and I am really excited to wear it out on the town!! I have a bachelorette party that I am going to next Wednesday at Seacrets in OC and I really want to wear the dress!! My short term goal right now is to firm up my jelly belly so that I can wear the dress proudly and feel like a hot mama!! Wish me luck! I know I can do it! Hey...have I mentioned that I Love Spark People??!! Update #8: 08/06/2009-So...I'm still at a plateau for a little over a month now and I have totally made up my mind to get out of this...NOW! My gals and I from "Get Your Basc in Shape" have started the "Alright Already August Challenge" and we are going to totally rock it out this August and I am going to get out of this plateau!! We have committed to work out for at least 500 minutes a week, burn 3,000 calories, at least 30 minutes of cardio 6 times a week, strength training at least 3 days a week, and stay within our calorie ranges 5 days a week...minimum!! I am feeling better already and I just know that I am going to drop below 200 pounds by the end of August!! Here is my quote for the month: " You are the way you are because that's the way you want to be, if you REALLY wanted to be any different, you'd be in the process of changing RIGHT NOW" I am in the process of changing and I will see results! Thanks to all of my friends and supporters on Spark People...I love you and I love this site!! Update #9:10/17/09: Guess what everyone??????....I LOVE SPARK PEOPLE!! So I haven't updated in awhile...but here it is (7 months of progress): When I first got serious with my love Spark People...I weighed in at a hefty 235 pounds...WOW! After 7 months in this serious and committed relationship...I weigh 193...WOW! TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS SO FAR...42 POUNDS...WOW! My first measurements my husband took of me were in May of 2009: Waist-38.5 Hips-46.5 Thighs-43.5 Neck-13.75 Chest-41.5 **Those measurements were taken after I had lost my first 22 pounds...so I'm sure I started off wider than that even.** The measurements my husband took of me today, in October of 2009: Waist-34 Hips-43 Thighs-39 Neck-13 Chest-38 So...in 5-6 months I've lost some inches: Waist-4.5 inches Hips-3.5 inches Thighs-4.5 Neck-.75 Chest-3.5 TOTAL INCHES LOST SINCE FIRST MEASUREMENTS=16.75...WOW!! I'm still working out on the regular and I feel more and more fit by the workout...it's great! I track my food regularly...food is still my greatest weakness however, but I continue to make progress...so I'm not going to sweat it too much!! Right now I average between 1600-2100 calories a day...a lot I know...but I eat many foods that are healthy and some that are not. I am thinking one of the greatest feelings, even more than the pounds and inches being gone, is the fact that I haven't felt FAT in a long time!! That is the best!! I feel so great! I am very proud of myself for sticking with this...it is becoming the way in which I live my life...I am so happy! This website has proven to be such a powerful tool for me in my mission to lose weight and live a healthier, more energetic and positive life! I have made some great Spark friends and I love the support that they give me and the feeling I get when I am giving them encouragement! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE SPARK PEOPLE!! SP+My determination=SUCCESS! Update #10-04/25/2010: Weight: 180.5 Waist-32 Hips-38 Thighs-39 Neck-12.5 Chest-37 Pounds & Inches Lost: Pounds: 54.5 gone forever! Waist: 6.5 Hips: 8.5 Thighs: 4.5 Neck: 1 Chest: 4.5 Total: 25 inches gone forever! Not too shabby!! It's taken me way too long to update, but life's busy...you know how it goes! I would like to thank Spark People (including all you PEOPLE on Spark), Jillian Michaels and my returned motivation for all of my success! I feel like a new person! This journey has only just begun for me and I look forward to what is to come! I love Spark People! I love Spark People! I LOVE SPARK PEOPLE!!

***I want to exercise at least 3 hours a week (both cardio & strength training) ***Stay within my calorie allowance at least 6 days a week ***May 2009-Weigh 210 pounds & wear a Size 16 (Met June 6, 2009) ***June 2009-Weigh 200 pounds ***July 2009-Weigh 190 ***August 2009-Weigh 180 & Wear a Size 14

I have been walk/jogging 3 days a week for about a half hour, doing Tae Bo, Pilates, Denise Austin, The Firm, Spark People workouts, jumping rope/jumping jacks, tennis, ab workouts and other strength training. As you can see I am trying to keep things interesting so I don't get bored, plateau, and/or lose motivation! I'm trying to stay wthin my calorie limits, and eat as many fruits and veggies as I can! I love healthy food, so it's not a problem to eat healthy...I am struggling with turning down food that is not so healthy!! Spark People is a major part of my program...I'm very active on this site and I have been involving a lot of my friends with Spark People which is helping a lot! Progress is being made...I feel good...and I know I'm headed in the right direction towards living a healthy life!

My name is Courtney, I am 31 years old and am a wife and mother of two kiddos. My son is 8 and my daughter is one. I am originally from a little town in PA called Saxonburg, which is about an hour north of Pittsburgh. I moved to Maryland 7 years ago to pursue my teaching career. I love it here, but I will always be a Pittsburgh girl at heart!! Go Steelers!!

"The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." - Mark Twain "Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so." - Belva Davis

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